Deep fat fryer



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l S l m A n l. 4 lllll lll 5^/ r n FHmwwmlfwm N 9 1 M, w F 3 m m m p F. P A l m u. 4 S F 0 5 9 1 6., 2 l l @MNM NM1 D n Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED PATENT OFFICE nnss FAT J angles Dawson, Houston, Teig. fertilisation anni 1946i Serial blo- 66,12 Sillones, (Cl. sof-40?? This. invention relates generally to foon snelle ins apparatus and pertains particularly to proved- `risen fat fryoln nrinoinel @bloot of the present invention is to provide an improved artesanos. ies ilse in eisen ietf frying as, for eramole in the f ryins of ors is., French fried potages and. die like. wherein' n nel ineens is provided for essonne the removal nl la s onli Particles from the nielieol grease, non: tinually daling ine use oi tno annale-tos where-f. bythefood is at alltimes maintained in portion of the grease Wliioh ,is olean ansi il from nesting particles lessi f linolller oleiesi of the invention is to Pineville a elses loifli'en Wlieneln s nevel l eentaels str li loresl for in nini lins a f l of are, se from the ins to a low sont the neoeoiaeie, l, means for Cooling the grease in ,said lower Dart of the reoootaole whereby to effect an automatic settling of food partities so.` that the grease is automatically and eontinuouslr cleansed while boing used.

Still another objeet of the invention is to pro-- vide a doen fat fryer .oomnrisinef a grease recon,- iacle having a central passage or tunnel there..- throush in which heating ellments are housed, with a portion of such passage or tunnel func: tioning as a cool air conduit whereby grease ciroulating below such cool air conduit is main tained at a slightly lower temperature than the grease overlying the tunnel where the circulatory movement of the grease is slowed down slightly and particles of food are caused to settle to th bottom of the receptacle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the speoioation, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not conned to a strict conformity with the showing of the dra-wing but may be changed or modified so long as such 'i changes or inodinoations'mark no material departure from the salie t features of the invention as expressed in the appended clainis.A

In the drawing: Figure l is a View in ond elevation of a deep fat fryer constructed rrco ordance with the pres"- ent invention, Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken substantielle' en the line 2'"? el Finnlo lilsliie 3 is. o initieel transverse section taten substantially on the line if-3 0i Figure 2l.

,ii-'isere 4 is a longitudinal horizontal seetion taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Eigure 2.

Figure 5 is a view in tojo plan of the removable rack which is constructed t0 establish desired cir-- culation current in the grease.

Referring now more particularly to the draw,- ing the numeral H) generally designates a yreca tangolar receotacle having the longitudinal side oars rg and the en@ Wallys ez. The receptacle yis open at the top as shown while the bottom which ,is generally designated i3, comprises two `wall portions i4 which extend inwardly and down,-

l wa-rdly from the lower edges ofthe sidewalls I i forming, betwlzen the lower ends of the end walls l2, a Vshaped trough in the `bottom"`of which food particles and other Aforeign glatter are collectes The numeral .l5 generally designates a inloillar body Whl exten-ds, lnilgtufmny ihrQUSh ,the receptacle above the plane of the top edges of the inclined bottoni wall portions I4, as clearly shown in Figure 37 This tubular body .i` is onen at its two ends and such ends are mounted in suitable openings in the end walls I2 so that the body forms a tunnel `cornnletely through the rer sentatioensi onen ai both ends.

The Vtubular body is substantially triangular in ross seotion, having the downwardly converging ,file Walls l5 whilethe iLop wall is transversely arcuate as indicated at ll.`

As shown in Figure 3 the apex of the angle formed between the conversing side portions gli of the'tunnel lies directly above the apex of the 2ingle formed between the portions i4 of the botorn wall and it is in substantially the saine horizontal plane as the top edges of the portions i4 .of the bottoni wall Extending through the tonnel .5 .is the hori- `zontal partition Wall I B which divides the tunnel into opper and lower portions.. the opper portion teint li-esisned te lionso e solist burners kor neeting units IQ while the lower portion of the con.- si-ilili below ine partition IB, foinls en eil passasse Way which tends to reduce @induction oi heat downwardly into the lower part of the receptacle.

Tile learners i9 may be 'provided in any suitable manner with necessary fuel as, for example, or moans of a simply manifold 20 ,inonniesl end of ine receptacle and provided Wit, shut-.ofi valve 2|.

' The burners or heating units I9 are groiiped the tonnel I 5 adjacent to one en d thereof as shown so that the maximum neat is applied taille arch or top wall II of the tunnel at one end of the receptacle thereby causing the grease within the receptacle to not only be circulated upwardly and laterally toward the side walls, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3, but also from the end of the receptacle adjacent to which the burners are located, toward the opposite end thereof.

The circulation of the grease in the receptacle in streams moving upwardly from the top wall I'I of the tunnel and then laterally and downwardy toward the bottom wall portions I4 to return or move back upwardly along the convergent side walls I6 of the tunnel, is produced by the removable rack structure which is generally designated 22.

As best seen in Figure 3 the rack structure is of a width to iit snugly between the side walls II of the receptacle and it is of a length equal to the interior length of the receptacle as shown in Figure 2. As is also clearly shown in Figure 3 the rack comprises a central bridgelike portion which is of a width slightly greater than the width of the tunnel I and comprises a horizontal top wall 23 and depending vertical side walls 24. The top wall 23 is provided with a plurality of openings in the form of slots 25 and such a top wall rests directly upon the domed or ached tcp wall I1 of the tunnel thereby positioning the depending side walls 24 in spaced relation with the sides of 'the tunnel leaving a space for grease to ow upwardly between the sides of the tunnel and the walls 24 to and through the openings 25.

At their lower edges the side walls 24 of the bridgelike central structure of the rack, are joined with the horizontal outwardly extending oor walls 26, each of which is bordered along its outer edge by the upturned flange 21. Such iianges 2'I bear firmly against the inner sides of the receptacle side walls Il so that, in this manner, the

Yrack is maintained rmly in position and is prevented from rocking upon the top of the tunnel I5.

Along the inner side of each iioor wall 26 is formed a longitudinally extending series of slots or openings 28 each of which is bordered at its outer edge by the downturned inwardly directed 'lip 29.

Since the rack structure forms a partition horizontally in the receptacle between the side and end walls and over the burner housing tunnel, it will be readily seen that when the burns are functioning to heat the grease which lls the receptacle to a level well above the top wall 23 of the rack structure, convection currents will be set up causing the grease to move upwardly from the top wall I'I of the tunnel, through the openings 25 and then outwardly toward the side walls II of the receptacle as shown by the arrows. The currents, then contacting the walls of the receptacle, will be deflected downwardly into the narrow passages 30 formed between the walls I I and 26, toward the iioor walls 26, passing downwardly vthrough the slots 28 toward the downwardly converging surfaces of the bottom wall portion I4.

'In this manner currents iiowing down from each side 0f the receptacle will merge at the bottom of the V-shaped bottom wall and be mutually deiiected upwardly across the undersides of the convergent walls I6 of the tunnel, passing up between such walls and the walls 24 of the rack structure for reheating at the top of the tunnel.

Due to the provision of the air passageway through the tunnel below the partition wall I8 'perature will be set up in the grease between the walls I4 and I6 and food particles which may be free in the grease will be caused to settle out in the constrcted lower part of the bottom wall area, as will be readily apparent.

As is well known to those versed in the art, deep fat frying is carried out by the use of slatted baskets in which the food is placed. Such a basket is shown in broken lines in Figures 2 and 3 and is designated 3I. It will be seen that the horizontal wall 23 also forms a support upon which the basket 3| may rest so that the major portion of the basket will be submerged in the heated grease.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that there is provided in the present invention a deep fat fryer which is so designed that it will function efciently to effect the automatc removal from the grease of loose food particles which are collected in an area a substantial distance below the heatingvunit, whereby such food particles are prevented from becoming burned or charred and the continually circulating grease `'s automatically cleansed during such circulation, whereby the food is subjected to the action of clean grease only. It will also be readily seen that the structure is of such character that it may be easily and quickly cleaned by the smple process of withdrawing the partitioning rack structure 22 whereby the V-shaped lower portion or bottom of the receptacle may be easily reached for cleaning.

I claim:

1. A deep fat fryer of the character described comprising a grease receptacle having side and end walls and an open top for the reception of a food receptacle, the grease receptacle having a bottom Wall comprising downwardly convergent portions forming a substantially V-shaped structure, a tubular housing extending longitudinally through the grease receptacle and opening at its two ends through the said end walls, said tubular hous'ng having a transversely arcuate top wall, a horizontal division wall extending lengthwise through the tubular housing dividing the same into a lower air passage and an upper heater chamber, heating means in sa'd chamber, a rack structure forming a horizontal partition in the grease receptacle and comprising a horizontal apertured top part disposed above the tubular housing, depending imperforate sde parts having spaced relation with the side walls of the grease receptacle, laterally extending floor portions integral with said depcnding side parts having frictional engagement at their outer edges with the side walls of the grease receptacle at the tops of the convergent wall portions, said floor portions being apertured along the inner edges thereof.

2.A deep fat fryer comprising an open top receptacle having end walls and a bottom, said bottom being in the form of a channel between the end walls and having sloping sides, means forming a tubular air passage extending longitudinally through the receptacle at a substantial elevation above the lowest part of the bottom, means formng a heater chamber above the air passage, heating means in said chamber, and a rack within the receptacle and supported above the chamber, the rack having depending side portions in spaced relation with the side walls of the receptacle and an apertured top portion overlying the heater chamber, said depending side portions of the rack forming with the adjacent side walls of the receptacle, vertical channels through which are directed convection currents set up in the iiuid grease conta'ned in the receptacle.

,3, A. deep fat fryer comprising a receptacle hav- 5 ing an open top for the introduction thereinto of a food carrier, the receptacle having side and end walls and a bottom wall, the bottom wall being of V-form and extending between the end walls, means forming a tubular housing extending longitudinally through the receptacle, said housing opening at its ends through said end walls, a horizontal division wall in the housing forming a top chamber and a lower air passage. the air passage being open at its ends, said tubular housing being at a substantial elevation above the bottom wall, and a rack supported above said housing and comprising a horizontal apertured top portion on which a food receptacle may rest and depending side portions having spaced relation with the adjacent side walls of the receptacle, the rack further comprising laterally extending floor walls connected with said depending side portions and contacting the adjacent side walls of the recep- 6 tacle. said door walls being apertured adjacent to the said depending side portions.

. 5 JAB/IES F. DAWSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number Name Date 1,925,265 Mabey Sept. 5, 1933 2,053,568 Levin Sept. 8, 1936 2,182,735 ODowd Dec. 5, 1939 2,196,968 Bemis Apr. 16, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 462,379 Germany Apr. 20, 1927 

